High level of worker safety in poultry industry

According to the National Chicken Council, the poultry
industry is working to improve worker safety in the workplace and to reduce the
incidence of injury and health conditions.

The rate at which injuries and illnesses occur among poultry processing
workers in the U.S. has reached its lowest level, and according to the Bureau of Labour
Statistics, this level is below the rate found in food manufacturing in
general.

In 2006, the rate of injury and illness in the poultry processing sector
was 6.6 per 100 full-time workers, down from 7.4 in 2005. The rate has been cut
to less than half the level of 14.2 recorded in the year 2000.

Under an agreement signed with OSHA in 2007, NCC said companies in the
chicken and turkey industries will implement new programs and initiatives to
bolster workplace safety, including developing training and education programs
on equipment safety; developing and communicating information on the recognition
and prevention of workplace hazards; and convening a dialogue on equipment
safety issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.

The NCC highlights several policies and programmes to help the industry
improve worker safety:

- Training of employees in how to do their jobs in the safest and least
stressful manner possible - Training to be conducted in multiple languages
as needed to meet with needs of a diverse workforce- On-site wellness
centres so employees can receive medical attention on company time- Creating
more automated jobs as improved technology becomes available.- Technological
improvements used to perform portions of the job, to improve workplace
ergonomics- Assignment of full-time safety managers and registered nurses to
monitor the health and safety of plant employees and treat problems at an early
stage.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken
producer-processors, the companies that produce, process and market chickens.
Member companies of NCC account for approx. 95% of the chicken sold in the
US.